by my side | thomato

chapter 3

**have some minecraft music to keep you in the mood**

...

it had been about a week since ayato told me about his illness.

and during all of our troubles, there was one thing i was sure that i could confirm now. and that was the fact that i was romantically attracted to ayato.

i was able to search up some things due to the internet becoming more publicized and i learned that i was bisexual. i wasn't sure when or if i would tell ayato at all, or if he would even date a guy. i know he seemingly wasn't open to marriage, but i wanted to hold on to the small chance that there would be.

and today, ayato was out taking care of duties and ayaka had begun chatting with nagonohara yoimiya and the two were at least acquainted by now. i think she mentioned something about wanting to help with the fireworks.

winter was also nearing its beginning. the breeze was getting colder and colder and snow fall was expected on the weather channels in around another week or so. apparently, this was going to be the first time in a long time that snow had made an appearance in inazuma.

back to what i was saying about liking ayato, i wanted to ask him if he were gay without making myself obvious. and i knew ayaka would support, so maybe i would head to her first. i feel bad for making her out to be a wing woman, however.

i'll talk to her when she gets home.

...

i heard a knock on the door and stood up to answer it. it was yoimiya and ayaka.

"i hope you don't mind if yoimiya stays over. we're just going to hang out."

"that's fine. would you mind if i talked to you for a second."

ayaka purses her lips. "sure. yoimiya, you can head to my room on the left."

"okie dokie!" she cheers, skipping down to ayaka's room.

"what's up?" ayaka asks, shutting the door behind her. we take a seat on the couch and i try to gather the words to tell her.

"so... you know how we get that laptop the other day?"

"yeah?"

"well, i did some research, and i think i'm bisexual, but the problem is... i really think i like ayato, but i don't know if he is actually into guys-"

"oh thoma. you're so foolish. i have suspected this for a long time now. it's always the beholder who realizes last. alright, what do you want me to do? ask him if he's gay because my house maid is deeply in love with him? perhaps set you two on a blind date and record you kissing over a bowl of miso soup?"

i sigh and rub my face, trying to hide my blush. "ayaka, come on now. i just want to know if there's a chance he'd like me too."

"and why aren't you able to ask him yourself?"

"what if he gets suspicious and realizes that i like him?"

"make up, make out."

"i forget how blunt and illogical you are."

"you're the one who asked for my help! i'm trying to give you real, big boy pants advice. only teenagers would go sneaking around asking their sibling's crush to set them up. tell him how you feel yourself and stop hiding behind my back. i support you one hundred percent thoma, but you have no self confidence and you always want to doubt everything. once you grow up out of the mind set that you can't task a risk because of the bad things that will happen or embarrassment, you can actually shoot your shot and who knows, maybe you'll have a good outcome. you'll regret it later on if you don't."